Manuel L. Quezon

Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina (19 August 1878-1 August 1944) was President of the Philippines from 15 November 1935 to 1 August 1944, preceding Jose P. Laurel. He was a member of the Nacionalista Party, and he was the first Filipino president since Emilio Aguinaldo in 1901.

Biography
Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina was born in Baler, Luzon, Philippines in 1878, and he studied law and became an attorney in 1903. Originally an opponent of US control, he was elected governor in 1906, thanks to his charisma and active US help. He was elected to the Philippine Assembly in 1907, where he became the parliamentary leader of the largest party, the Nacionalista Party. As resident commissioner for the Philippines in Washington DC from 1909 to 1916, he lobbied hard for Philippine independence, and gained the passing of the Jones Act of 1916, which extended Filipino autonomy. On his return he joined the Senate and became its President. He continued to advocate independence, but was equally concerned about preparing his country for statehood through the creation of an efficient administration, and a viable economy. Elected President of the transitional Commonwealth of the Philippines, his attempts at reform were hampered by the power of entrenched interests, and the growing dependence on the USA in the face of Japanese expansionism. Upon the Japanese invasion of 1942, he presided over a government-in-exile in Washington until his death.